Hydraulic barking or cleaning apparatus



Dec. 8, 1953 SIMQNS 2,661,781

HYDRAULIC BARKING OR CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 4, 1949 INVENTORHOWARD A eLAN SINOMS Fatented Dec. 8, 1953 PATENT OFFHIE HYDRAULICBARKING R CLEANING APPARATUS Howard Allan Simons, Vancouver, BritishColumbia, Canada Application April 4, 1949, Serial No. 85,449

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus particularly forremoving bark from loss, but which may be used for cleaning these, andbarking or cleanin timber slabs, and the like.

An object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus forhydraulically removin bark from logs by means of a scrubbing and erodingaction.

Another object is the provision of apparatus having rotary sprays forbarking logs and the like.

A further object is the provision of apparatus for removing bark fromlogs by means of one or more sprays which are directed approximatelynormally to the log surface while each spray is rotated at high speedabout an axis lyin substantially perpendicular to said surface.

A further object is the provision of apparatus of the nature describedwhich requires less water and less pressure than existing barkersfordoing the same job, and which is much simpler in construction and,consequently, less expensive'than the known devices.

A further object is the provision of apparatus for applying a moving jetof high pressure water to a log at a high velocity across the bark orthe face of the log in a simple mechanical manner as compared toexisting barkers.

A further object is the provision of apparatus having hydraulic nozzlesmounted at such an angle that the water jet approaches a contact angleof 9G with the bark over the entire path of the jet on the log.

Yet another object is the provision of'a log barker which may employ anytype of' conveyor for the logs, or which may be easily built around mostlog-carrying conveyors.

With the above and'other objects in view, the present invention consistsessentially of hydraulic barking or cleaning apparatus including atleast one rotary head having atleast one nozzle adapted to direct waterfrom one side of the head at a point spaced from the'center of rotationthereof, and means for supplying water under pressure to thenozzle'while the head is rotating, as more fully described in thefollowing specification and illustrated, by way of example, in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is an end elevation of the apparatus,

partly in section,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus partly in section,and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of a rotary head and associatedelements.

While the appartaus illustrated in the draw- 11 Claims. (Cl. 144-208)ings includes three rotary heads, in which case the logs need not berotated as they pass therebetween, it is to be understood that there maybe only one rotary head, and suitable means may be provided for rotatingeach log. As there are many well-known devices for rotating logs, it isnot necessary to describe or illustrate herein any such device.

The apparatus according to this invention for barking logs includes atleast one rotary head It having at least one nozzle I I spaced radiallyfrom the axis of rotation [2 thereof, said axis lying substantiallyperpendicular-to a longitudinal axis of the log being cleaned or barked.It is preferable to employ a pair of nozzles, as shown,;in which casethey are positioned radially on opposite sides of the axis of rotation.The head [0 may be mounted in any convenient manner, and any suitablemeansmay be provided for supply ing water under pressure toits nozzle ornozzles while it is rotating.

In this example, each head Ill is mounted on the end of a shaft l5rotatably mounted in suitable spaced bearings it carried by a base 17.This shaft is rotated by a motor [8 mounted on the base I! and connectedto the shaft by pulleys 20 and 2|, a belt 22, a worm 23, and a worm gear24, the latter being mounted on the shaft. A passage 20 extends throughthe shaft and the head to each of the nozzles Ii.

Suitable means is provided for supplying water under pressure to thenozzles while the head is rotating. This may be accomplished by means ofa cylindrical chamber 36 through which the shaft [5 extends. Seals 3|are provided at the opposite ends of the chamber for preventing waterfrom escaping therefrom alon the shaft. Water under pressure is suppliedfrom a convenient source (not shown) to the chamber through a pipe 36,and said water passes from the chamber through ports 3'! into thepassage 28 ViihiClil extends fromsaid chamber to the noz- -z es I.

With the apparatus described so far, the head I0 is; rotated by themotor :8, and water under pressure is sprayed from one side of the headthrough the nozzles ll. These nozzles maybe arranged so that the spraysconverge. A log or any other surface to be barked or cleaned is movedpast the rotating head so that the water sprays strike the surfacenormally.

In the illustrated apparatus, there are three rotary heads It arrangedaround a common center. In order to accommodate logsof various sizesit'is preferable to be able to move one or two of these heads inrelation to the common center. For example, two of these heads may bemounted on supports and All lying substantially in the same verticalplane as the third head and diverging upwardly and outwardly therefrom.The base I? of each of these two movable heads is slidably mounted onits support, while the base of the third head is stationary, andsuitable means is provided for shifting the movable bases up and down ontheir supports. Each of the latter bases may be moved by means of ahydraulic cylinder having a piston rod 46 projecting outwardly therefromwith pulleys 41 and 48 mounted on the outer end thereof. A cable 5!] isconnected to the lower end of the base I! at 5| and extends around apulley 52 mounted on the support, and up and over the pulley 41, afterwhich it is anchored to the support at 53. Another cable 55 is anchoredat E6 to the upper end of the base and extends over pulley 51, aroundpulley 53, and beneath the pulley e3, after which it is anchored to thesupport at 59. When the piston rod :28 is moved out of the cylinder 45,the cable 5d moves the base downwardly, and when the piston rod is movedin the opposite direction, the cable 55 moves it upwardly. At least aportion of the pipes 35 of the movable heads is flexible in order topermit this movement.

The three heads ill are arranged at approximately 120 in relation toeach other. The nozzles H of each head converge slightly towards eachother so that water therefrom is directed generally towards the commoncenter. A log is moved through the space between the rotary heads on asuitable conveyor, such as rollers iii. The positions of the uppermostheads may be adjusted in order to accommodate logs of different sizes.The nozzles of each head are spaced from the log and rotate about anaxis lying substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal .axis of thelog, and streams of water under pressure are directed by said nozzlesagainst the log normally to its surface. The water jets from the nozzlesdescribe circles, and as the log moves continuously through theapparatus, the jets follow a compound cycloidal path over the surface.The heads and nozzles are preferably so arranged that the paths of thewater from the nozzles overlap each other to ensure com- 4 platecoverage of the log sufacev This subjects the surface to a scrubbing anderoding action which completely removes bark, dirt and other materialfrom said surface.

Since the water jet from each nozzle has a tangential velocity withrespect to the circular path described by the nozzles, there will be acomponent along the log surface tending .at all times to out between thewood and the bark; also, there will be a component normal to the logsurface, which will alternately be added to, or subtracted from, theaxial velocity of the jet, and these eifects have been demonstrated toimprove the efiiciency of barking. The normal component becomes additivewhenever the jet path is moving more or less uphill, that is, when'moving towards the longitudinal axis of the log. The log surfacecomponent of said jet has a marked eifect on the complete removal ofbark. This utilization of the axial velocity of the jet and of thetangential velocity caused by the rotation of the head, is so effectivethat it even removes the c'ambium layer from logs and slabs.

While three rotary heads have been shown for logs, it is to beunderstood that only twp may 4 be used, in which case they would beopposed and the heads might have to be a little larger in proportion tothe remainder of the equipment.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In hydraulic barking or cleaning apparatus, a plurality of rotatablymounted shafts, a head mounted on each shaft and rotatable therewith,said shafts and heads being mounted around a common center, a base foreach shaft, one of said bases being fixed, means on each base forrotating its shaft, supports diverging outwardly from the fixed base insubstantially the same plane and on opposite sides of the shaft thereof,each of the other bases being slidably mounted on one of said supports,means for moving the slidable bases on their supports, a pair of nozzleson each head on opposite sides of the axis of rotation thereof, saidnozzles being adapted to direct water generally towards the commoncenter, a passage extending through each shaft and its head to thenozzles thereof, and means for supplying water under pressure to eachpassage.

2. In hydraulic barking or cleaning apparatus through which logs aremoved, means for directing high velocity water jets on to the surface ofeach log moving through the apparatus, and means for rotating the jetsaround a common axis spaced therefrom and lying substantiallyperpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the log for causing said jets tofollow substantially compound cycloidal paths along the log duringmovement of the latter.

3. Barking or cleaning apparatus comprising conveying means for moving a10;; through the apparatus, a head spaced from said log and rotatableabout an axis lying substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axisof the log, means for supplying water under high pressure to the head,at least one nozzle on the head spaced radially from the axis ofrotation of the head, said nozzle being directed generally towards thelongitudinal axis of the log at all times, and means for rotating thehead at high speed so as to direct at least one high velocity water jetin a substantially cycloidal path over the log surface as said log ismoved through the apparatus.

4. Barking or cleaning apparatus comprising conveying means for moving alog through the apparatus, a head spaced from said log and rotatableabout an axis lying substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axisof the log, means for supplying water under high pressure to the head, apair of nozzles on the head spaced radially from the axis of rotation ofthe head on opposite sides thereof, said nozzles being directedgenerally towards the longitudinal axis of the log at all times, andmeans for rotating the head at high speed so as to direct two highvelocity water jets in substantially compound cycloidal pathsover thelog surface as said log is moved through the apparatus.

5. Barking or cleaning apparatus comprising conveying means for moving alog through the apparatus, a plurality of heads arranged around alongitudinal axis of the log, each head being spaced from said log andbeing rotatable about an axis lying substantially perpendicular to saidlongitudinal axis of the log, means for supplying water under highpressure to each head, at least one nozzle on each head spaced radiallyfrom the axis of rotation of its head, said nozzles being directedgenerally towards the longitudinal axis of the log at all times, andmeans for rotating the heads at high speed so as to direct a pluralityof high velocity water jets in substantially compound cycloidal pathsover the log surface as said log is moved through the apparatus.

6. Barking or cleaning apparatus comprising conveying means for moving alog through the apparatus, a plurality of heads arranged around alongitudinal axis of the log, each head being spaced from said log andbeing rotatable about an axis lying substantially perpendicular to saidlongitudinal axis of the log, means for supplying Water under highpressure to each head, a pair of nozzles on each head spaced radiallyfrom the axis of rotation of their head on opposite sides thereof, allof said nozzles being directed generally towards the longitudinal axisof the log at all times and the nozzles of each head being inclinedtowards each other, and means for rotating the heads at high speed so asto direct a plurality of high velocity water jets in substantiallycompound cycloidal paths over the log surface as said log is movedthrough the apparatus.

7. Barking or cleaning apparatus comprising conveying means for moving alog through the apparatus, a plurality of heads arranged around thelongitudinal axis of the log, each head being spaced from said log andbeing rotatable about an axis lying substantially perpendicular to saidlongitudinal axis of the log, means for moving at least he of the headstowards and away from the conveying means without changing the angle ofthe axis of rotation of the head, means for supplying water under highpressure to each head, at least one nozzle on each head spaced radiallyfrom the axis of rotation of its head, said nozzles being directedgenerally towards the longitudinal of the log at all times, and meansfor rotating the heads at high speed so as to direct a plurality of highvelocity water jets in substantially compound cycloidal paths over thelog surface as said log is moved through the apparatus.

8. Barking or cleaning apparatus comprising conveying means for moving alog through the apparatus, a shaft rotatab-ly mounted adjacent theconveying means, head mounted on the shaft and spaced from said log,said head being rotatable about an axis lying substantiallyperpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the log, a pair of nozzles thehead spaced radially from the axis of rotation of the head on oppositesides thereof, said nozzles being directed generally towards thelongitudinal axis of the log at all times and being inclined towardseach other, a passage extending from a point in the shaft through thelatter and the head to the nozzles, a plurality of ports in the shaftcommunicating with the passage therein, a chamber mounted on the shaftover the ports, sealing glands between the ends of the chamber and theshaft, means for supplying water under pressure to the chamber, meansfor rotating the shaft and head at high speed so as to direct two highvelocity water jets from the nozzles in substantially compound cycloidalpaths over the log surface as said leg is moved through the apparatus.

9. In hydraulic barking or cleaning apparatus, a plurality of rotatablymounted shafts, a head mounted on each shaft and rotatable therewith,

said shafts and heads being mounted around a common center, a base foreach shaft, one of said bases being fixed, means on each base forrotating its shaft, at least one support extending upwardly from thefixed base, one of the other bases being slidably mounted on saidsupport, a fluid-operated cylinder mounted on the support for theslidable base and having a piston rod extending outwardly therefrom, apair of pulleys on the outer end of the piston rod, a cable connected tothe lower end of the slidable base and extending beneath a pulleymounted on the support below the cylinder and over one of the piston rodpulleys, the other end of said cable being anchored to the support,another cable connected to the upper end of the slidable base andextending beneath the other piston rod pulley and anchored to thesupport, both of said cables being of such length that the slidable baseis in its closest position to the fixed base when the piston rod is inits outer position and in its farthest position from said fixed basewhen the rod is in its inner position, a pair of nozzles on each head onopposite sides of the axis of rotation thereof, said nozzles beingadapted to direct water generally towards the common center, a passageextending through each shaft and its head to the nozzles thereof, andmeans for supplying water under pressure to each passage.

10. In hydraulic barking or cleaning apparatus, means directing a highvelocity water jet on a log normal to the surface thereof, meansrotating the jet at high speed around an axis spaced therefrom and lyingsubstantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the log, and meansfor causing relative movement between the jet and log longitudinally ofthe latter, said rotating and relative movements moving the jet in acycloidal path over the log surface longitudinally thereof at highspeed.

11. In hydraulic barking or cleaning apparatus, means directing aplurality of high velocity jets towards a log, said jets being inclinedtowards each other, means rotating the jets at high speed around acommon axis spaced therefrom and lying substantially perpendicular to alongitudinal axis of the log, and means for causing relative movementbetween the jets and log longitudinally of the latter, said rotating andrelative movements moving the jets in compound cycloidal paths over andlongitudinally of the log surface at high speed.

HOWARD ALLAN SIMONE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,660,345 Merseles Feb. 28, 1928 1,730,658 Jensen Oct. 8, 19291,928,621 Frede et al Oct. 3, 1933 1,953,311 Peik Apr. 3, 1934 1,969,914Swigert Aug. 14, 1934 2,422,757 Swift June 24, 1947 2,473,461 White June14, 1949 2,488,041 Swift NOV. 15, 1949 2,578,804 Holveck et a1 Dec. 18,1951

